I love singing Nursery Rhymes with my young children; it’s a great way to spend time together, not to mention it’s a fantastic method of enjoyable learning. Singing nursery rhymes with kids can teach them so much and are obviously a great introduction to language but they can also help to teach young children the basics of numbers and counting. But which nursery rhymes teach numbers and counting the best?
Nursery rhymes that teach numbers and simple counting include; Five Little Ducks, Ten Fat Sausages, Hickory Dickory Dock, Five Little Monkeys, Ten in the Bed, Five Little Speckled Frogs, The Ants go marching and many more…
You may recall many of your favorites nursery rhymes as a youngster and now as an adult realize how much educational value they have. You can count to ten, skip some numbers, and also count backward. The foundations of many of these rhymes will help little ones become comfortable with numeracy in a memorable way.
Which Nursery Rhymes Teach Counting?
Any nursery rhyme that includes numbers can teach counting to a child. Whether the rhyme refers to only one number in the rhyme such as in the sweet tale of the Three Little Kittens or whether you actually count from one number to another like in Ten in the Bed does not matter. This is because nursery rhymes entail using visualizing, hand movements, imagination, and creativity. When reading the rhyme of The Three Little Kittens, you may see 3 kittens illustrated on the page or you may use three fingers or puppets to represent the kittens and your child will over time, come to recognize and identify that the number 3 refers to 3 of something. Likewise in Ten in the Bed, as you count backwards they will begin to become familiar not only with the numbers but also what five of six etc… looks like when they see the remaining fingers up that are counting down, or the amount of puppets or toys left or again by seeing illustrations in a book.
When to Teach Numbers to A Child?
An excellent time to start introducing numbers to your child is from birth, especially with nursery rhymes. When should you begin to expect them to count back to you or more importantly be able to correctly identify one to one correspondence – not until they are about 2.5-3.5yrs and even then this is only for small groups of objects. This means that they can correctly count and tell you that there are three kittens or four cars. They may however be able to recite back to you the numbers from 1-10 and further if it is something they learn in a fun way from the time they start talking in sentences – but this is different to one to one correspondence of numbers and objects which essentially is more important than just knowing how to count by rote.
You can add counting to your and your child’s daily routine; you can start with number rhymes such as “Once I Caught A Fish Alive” or “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe.” You should also be pointing out simple things or objects they often encounter, such as food items, pets, or toys. Make teaching enjoyable and playful for your child.
Children can encounter and observe various mathematics concepts from infancy, like quantity comparison and pattern recognition. Once children reach preschool age, you can start teaching them numbers in an interactive and fun way; you can put nursery rhymes on top of the list. Tell your kids to show the numbers on their fingers as you sing together to understand what particular number you are singing about during that verse.
- Five Little Ducks
- Five Little Peas in a Pod
- One, Two, Three, Four, Five Once I Caught a Fish Alive…..
- Ten Fat Sausages
- Hickory Dickory Dock
- Five Little Speckled Frogs
- The Ants Go Marching
- One Two Buckle my Shoe
- Five Little Men in A Flying Saucer
- Alice The Camel
- Zoom Zoom Zoom!
- Five Little Pumpkins
- Five Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree
- Five Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree lyrics
- Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
- This Old Man
- Five Elephants
- Here is the Beehive
- Ten In The Bed
- Three Little Kittens
Five Little Ducks
In this nursery rhyme, the concept of counting backward is taught and being learned, as well as subtraction or what happens why you take away something. This is a great little rhyme that I love singing with my kids. I use my 5 fingers to show the little ducks and then use that same hand to make movements such as going of the hills and far away, or mother ducks quaking and then showing that less ducks appear back. This is also a great rhyme to do with finger puppets.
Five Little Ducks Lyrics
Five little ducks went swimming one day.
Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck Said Quack Quack Quack Quack!
But only four little ducks came back!
Four little ducks went swimming one day.
Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck Said Quack Quack Quack Quack!
But only three little ducks came back!
Three little ducks went swimming one day.
Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck Said Quack Quack Quack Quack!
But only two little ducks came back!
Two little ducks went swimming one day.
Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck Said Quack Quack Quack Quack!
But only one little duck came back!
One little duck went swimming one day.
Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck Said Quack Quack Quack Quack!
But only none of the little ducks came back!
Mother Duck went swimming one day.
Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck Said Quack Quack Quack Quack!
And all five little ducks came back!
Five Little Peas in a Pod
This one is straightforward counting and can be adapted to add more numbers. The nursery rhyme just as is, is a perfect crowd pleaser, kids love the POP part at the end, and always leaves children in laughing.
Five Little Peas in a Pod Lyrics
Five little peas in a peapod pressed,
one grew, two grew so did all the rest,
They grew…. and they grew…. and did not stop
Until one day the pod went POP!
One, Two, Three, Four, Five Once I Caught a Fish Alive…..
My little girl loves this rhyme. She loves copying all the hand actions that go with the rhyme and trying to work out which hand is her right hand compared to her left so she can wriggle the little finger! It is a great one to help learn how to count to ten by rote.
One, Two, Three, Four, Five Once I Caught a Fish Alive Lyrics
One two three four five once I caught a fish alive,
six seven eight nine ten then I let him go again,
why did you let him go because he bit my finger so,
which finger did he bite.
This little finger on my right!
Ten Fat Sausages
This is an exciting rhyme to teach numbers to kids with; it has explosive actions that set off laughter and fun. Make sure you exaggerate the number, the POP, and the BANG! Movements such as clapping or jumping are highly recommended to make this Rhyme even more fun to sing!
You can also change the counting pattern in this rhyme such as counting back in 5’s or 2’s as this will help your kids learn the skip counting patterns from a young age.
Ten Fat Sausages Lyrics
Ten fat sausages, sizzling in a pan, one went pop and the other went bang!
Nine fat sausages, sizzling in a pan, one went pop and the other went bang!
Eight fat sausages, sizzling in a pan, one went pop and the other went bang!
Seven fat sausages, sizzling in a pan, one went pop and the other went bang!
Six fat sausages, sizzling in a pan, one went pop and the other went bang!
Five fat sausages, sizzling in a pan, one went pop and the other went bang!
Four fat sausages, sizzling in a pan, one went pop and the other went bang!
Three fat sausages, sizzling in a pan, one went pop and the other went bang!
Two fat sausages, sizzling in a pan, one went pop and the other went bang!
One fat sausage, sizzling in a pan, one went pop and the other went bang!
No fat sausages sizzling in a pan, none went pop and none went bang!
Hickory Dickory Dock
This is a fond nursery rhyme I remember singing many times over as a child since I can remember family members were singing this with me, in the car, in the house, and at school, there was always an excellent occasion to sing “Hickory Dickory Dock.” This nursery rhyme previously only had one verse when I was younger but now has more. And you can also keep the rhyme going by making up new things that ryhme with each number such as the clock struck five, the mouse did a dive.
Hickory Dickory Dock Lyrics
Hickory dickory dock,
the mouse ran up the clock,
the clock struck one,
the mouse ran down,
Hickory Dickory dock.
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
Hickory dickory dock,
the mouse ran up the clock,
the clock struck two,
the mouse went WOO,
hickory dickory dock.
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
Hickory dickory dock,
the mouse ran up the clock,
the clock struck three,
the mouse went WEEEEEE,
hickory dickory dock.
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
Hickory dickory dock,
the mouse ran up the clock,
the clock struck four,
the mouse said “NO MORE”,
hickory dickory dock.
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
Five Little Speckled Frogs
This is a favorite nursery rhyme to sing and teach especially the glub, glub part at the end. It’s a fun song to add some gross motor movement and to get kids active such as clapping to the beat and jumping into a pretend pool. You can add your kid’s names to the song where you sing “One jumped into the pool,” showing that it is that child’s turn to jump into the pool.
Five Little Speckled Frogs Lyrics
Five little speckled frogs, sat on a speckled log,
Eating some most delicious grubs! YUM YUM!
One jumped into the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there are four green speckled frogs.
GLUB GLUB!
Four little speckled frogs, sat on a speckled log,
Eating some most delicious grubs! YUM YUM!
One jumped into the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there are three green speckled frogs.
GLUB GLUB!
Three little speckled frogs, sat on a speckled log,
Eating some most delicious grubs! YUM YUM!
One jumped into the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there is two green speckled frog.
GLUB GLUB!
Two little speckled frogs, sat on a speckled log,
Eating some most delicious grubs! YUM YUM!
One jumped into the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there is one green speckled frog.
GLUB GLUB!
One little speckled frog, sat on a speckled log,
Eating some most delicious grubs! YUM YUM!
One jumped into the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there are no green speckled frogs.
GLUB GLUB!
The Ants Go Marching
This nursery rhyme is a great one for getting kids moving as well as counting! During the first part of the verse, kids march on the spot to the beat of the rhyme. They can hold up as many fingers as there are ants marching; they can then act out the actions such as suck his thumb or tie her shoe. When the ants go down, you can march with bended knees and get smaller as if going down. The at the end they can jump up and sing BOOM, BOOM, BOOM loudly.
The Ants Go Marching Lyrics
The ants go marching one by one, HURRAH, HURRAH.
The ants go marching one by one, HURRAH, HURRAH.
The ants go marching one by one,
The little one stops to suck his thumb.
And they all go marching down,
To the ground, to get out of the rain.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ants go marching two by two, HURRAH, HURRAH.
The ants go marching two by two, HURRAH, HURRAH.
The ants go marching two by two,
The little one stops to tie her shoe.
And they all go marching down,
To the ground, to get out of the rain.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
You then follow on replacing the number and they rhyme with the following until you get to ten ants marching
…three….climb a tree…
…four…shut the door…
…five…take a dive…
…six…pick up sticks…
…seven…pray to heaven…
…eight…check the gate…
…nine…check the time…
…ten…say “The End!”
One Two Buckle my Shoe
This one is a classic for me; it’s great to start with counting since there are so few lyrics and difficult to forget what rhymes with the number; you could even mix it up and let them write or sing their style. I usually need a refresher every time I need to sing nursery rhymes, but this one has stuck with me throughout the years,
One Two Buckle my Shoe Lyrics
One, two, Buckle my shoe
Three, four, Knock at the door
Five, six, Pick up sticks
Seven, eight, Lay them straight
Nine, ten, A big fat hen
Eleven, twelve, Dig and delve
Thirteen, fourteen, Maids a-courting
Fifteen, sixteen, Maids in the kitchen
Seventeen, eighteen, Maids a-waiting
Nineteen, twenty, My plate’s empty
Here is another shorter version:
One, Two, buckle my shoe!
Three, four, knock at the door!
Five, six, pick up sticks!
Seven, eight, don’t be late!
Nine, ten, let’s say it again!
Five Little Men in A Flying Saucer
This can be an exciting one for both boys and girls, especially in a group. As this nursery rhyme includes counting backward and looking left or right, it’s a great song to introduce a little mathematics by deducting one number at a time.
Some points to remember when singing this rhyme with little children. If you are facing them when you say left or right, it might be the opposite to what you are doing – as the kids will be mirroring you. Young kids may also not understand what left or right means just yet, so pause until they have done the action. A good idea would pretend to be in the saucer, and you are the captain; hence they will be behind you, and one person needs to get off each turn.
Five Little Men in A Flying Saucer Lyrics
Five little men in a flying saucer,
went round the earth one day.
They looked left and right
but they didn’t like the sight
and one man flew away.
Four little men in a flying saucer,
went round the earth one day.
They looked left and right
but they didn’t like the sight
and one man flew away.
Three little men in a flying saucer,
went round the earth one day.
They looked left and right
but they didn’t like the sight
and one man flew away.
Two little men in a flying saucer,
went round the earth one day.
They looked left and right
but they didn’t like the sight
and one man flew away.
One little man in a flying saucer,
went round the earth one day.
He looked left and right
but he didn’t like the sight
and he flew right away.
Alice The Camel
Alice The Camel sometimes also known as Sally the Camel, is another classic count-down nursery rhyme. Make the song more interactive by letting the kids show the number of fingers on their hand with each new verse; each time they sing “So, go Alice, go” they can run a short distance and back; the last line with the “Boom, boom, boom, boom” they can jump as high as they can or can move their hips from side to side.
Alice The Camel Lyrics
Alice the camel has five humps.
Alice the camel has five humps.
Alice the camel has five humps.
So go, Alice, go!
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Alice the camel has four humps.
Alice the camel has four humps.
Alice the camel has four humps.
So go, Alice, go!
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Alice the camel has three humps.
Alice the camel has three humps.
Alice the camel has three humps.
So go, Alice, go!
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Alice the camel has two humps.
Alice the camel has two humps.
Alice the camel has two humps.
So go, Alice, go!
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Alice the camel has one hump.
Alice the camel has one hump.
Alice the camel has one hump.
So go, Alice, go!
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Alice the camel has no humps.
Alice the camel has no humps.
Alice the camel has no humps.
‘Cause Alice is a horse, of course!
Zoom Zoom Zoom!
The first time I sang Zoom, Zoom, Zoom was during storytime at the local library. All the parents walked in a circle with their child in their arms and threw the kids up into the air at the end after the favorite line “five, four, three, two, one, BLAST OFF!” which also encourages counting backward.
Zoom Zoom Zoom! Lyrics
Zoom zoom zoom we’re going to the moon,
Zoom zoom zoom we’ll be there very soon,
If you want to take a trip
Climb aboard my rocket ship,
Five, four, three, two, one, BLAST OFF!
Five Little Pumpkins
“Five Little Pumpkins” is best known as a Halloween nursery rhyme that also happens to be good for teaching counting. You could change the word pumpkins to ghosts or cats or any other type of Halloween symbol you can think of.
Five Little Pumpkins Lyrics
Five little pumpkins
Sitting on a gate
The first one said,
“Oh, my, it’s getting late!”
The second one said,
“There are witches in the air!”
The third one said,
“But we don’t care!”
The fourth one said,
“Let’s run and run and run!”
The fifth one said,
“I’m ready for some fun!”
OOOOOOOH, went the wind
And OUT went the light (clap on “out”)
And the five little pumpkins
Rolled out of sight.
Five Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree
This is a great repetitive nursery rhyme that has some fun hand actions to go with it. All kids seem to like using their arms to pretend to snap like a crocodile and make a big clap when it is time to snap up that monkey. You could start from ten with older children who have longer attention spans.
Five Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree lyrics
Five little monkeys swinging in a tree
Teasing Mr. Crocodile ‘you can’t catch me!’
Along came Mr. Crocodile quiet as can be
…….and snap…… that monkey out of that tree
Four little monkeys swinging in a tree
Teasing Mr. Crocodile ‘you can’t catch me!’
Along came Mr. Crocodile quiet as can be
…….and snap…… that monkey out of that tree
Three little monkeys swinging in a tree
Teasing Mr. Crocodile ‘you can’t catch me!’
Along came Mr. Crocodile quiet as can be
…….and snap…… that monkey out of that tree
Two little monkeys swinging in a tree
Teasing Mr. Crocodile ‘you can’t catch me!’
Along came Mr. Crocodile quiet as can be
…….and snap…… that monkey out of that tree
One little monkey swinging in a tree
Teasing Mr. Crocodile ‘you can’t catch me!’
Along came Mr. Crocodile quiet as can be
…….and snap…… that monkey out of that tree
No more monkeys swinging in the tree!
Teasing Mr. Crocodile ‘you can’t catch me!’
Along came Mr. Crocodile quiet as can be
…….and snap…… (grab a child you are singing to)
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
Kids around the world love this counting rhyme because they all have been told at some stage in your life to not jump on their beds. But you don’t need to actually jump on any beds to sing this kid favourite rhyme, bouncing up and down on the spot and doing actions to show you banged your head and are calling the doctor are all you need to do!
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed Lyrics
Five little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”
Four little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”
Three little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”
Two little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”
One little monkey jumping on the bed
He fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
“Put those monkeys straight to bed!”
This Old Man
This traditional nursery rhyme was collected and published in 1937 by Anne Gilchrist as she remembered it from her Welsh nurse during the 1870s. You don’t have to be an old man to sing it – anyone can. In fact, when I learned it as a child I never thought of this old man as being me, rather that I was referring to an old man. It is great for learning to rhyme and the knick-knack paddywhack, Give the dog a bone, part is so much fun to sing!
This Old Man Lyrics
This old man, he played one,
He played knick-knack on my thumb;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played two,
He played knick-knack on my shoe;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played three,
He played knick-knack on my knee;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played four,
He played knick-knack on my door;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played five,
He played knick-knack on my hive;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played six,
He played knick-knack on my sticks;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played seven,
He played knick-knack up in heaven;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played eight,
He played knick-knack on my gate;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played nine,
He played knick-knack on my spine;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played ten,
He played knick-knack once again;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
Five Elephants
This is a fun way of learning to count using animals. This nursery rhyme will draw any child’s attention and can be quickly learned as it has repetitive verses. There are two different versions of this rhyme – I remember the first one from my childhood watching and singing along with the children’s show Play School! The second version, I have only just learned of recently when searching for the lyrics to this childhood favorite of mine!
Five Elephants Lyrics
One grey elephant balancing
Step by step on a piece of string
Thought it was such a wonderful stunt
That he called for another elephant
Two grey elephants balancing
Step by step on a piece of string
Thought it was such a wonderful stunt
That they called for another elephant
Three grey elephants balancing
Step by step on a piece of string
Thought it was such a wonderful stunt
That they called for another elephant
Four grey elephants balancing
Step by step on a piece of string
Thought it was such a wonderful stunt
That they called for another elephant
Five grey elephants balancing
Step by step on a piece of string
All of a sudden the piece of string broke
And down came all the elephant folk
Alternate Version
One elephant went out to play
Upon a Spiders web one day
He had such enormous fun
That he called for another elephant to come.
Two elephants went out to play
Upon a Spiders web one day
They had such enormous fun
That they called for another elephant to come.
Three elephants went out to play
Upon a Spiders web one day
They had such enormous fun
That they called for another elephant to come.
Four elephants went out to play
Upon a Spiders web one day
They had such enormous fun
That they called for another elephant to come.
Five elephants went out to play
Upon a Spiders web one day
They had such enormous fun
That they called for another elephant to come.
All the elephants were out at play
Upon a spiders web one day
They had such enormous fun
But there were no more elephants left to come!
Here is the Beehive
Kids love getting to make funny noises when they say the buzzzzz words in this nursery rhyme. They also enjoy trying to catch the bees if you use your hands or fingers to pretend to be the bees!
Here is the Beehive Lyrics
Here is the beehive.
But where are all the bees?
Hiding away where nobody sees.
Here they come flying out of their hive.
One, two, three, four, five!
Here is the beehive.
But where are all the bees?
Hiding away where nobody sees.
Here they come flying out of their hive.
One, two, three, four, five!
Buzz up high. Buzz down low.
Buzzing fast. Buzzing slow.
Buzz to the left. Buzz to the right.
Buzz all day but sleep at night.
Here is the beehive.
But where are all the bees?
Hiding away where nobody sees.
Here they come flying out of their hive.
One, two, three, four, five!
Ten In The Bed
This nursery rhyme is also a famous lullaby, a favorite in many houses to get the little one to sleep. You will see the last verse ends with either “Good Night” or “Good Bye” or “Alone at Last,” depending on variations. But I honestly have never used it to get anyone to sleep in our house. Usually, it is more a fun game where we roll over and fall out of the bed or have dolls and teddy’s roll over and fall off the bed, which usually ends up with lots of laughing rather than sleeping!
Ten In The Bed Lyrics
There were ten in the bed
And the little one said,
“Roll over! Roll over!”
So they all rolled over and
one fell out
There were nine in the bed
And the little one said,
“Roll over! Roll over!”
So they all rolled over
And one fell out
There were eight in the bed
And the little one said,
“Roll over! Roll over!”
So they all rolled over and one fell out
There were seven in the bed
And the little one said,
“Roll over! Roll over!”
So they all rolled over and one fell out
There were six in the bed
And the little one said,
“Roll over! Roll over!”
So they all rolled over and one fell out
There were five in the bed
And the little one said,
“Roll over! Roll over!”
So they all rolled over and one fell out
There were four in the bed
And the little one said,
“Roll over! Roll over!”
So they all rolled over and one fell out
There were three in the bed
And the little one said,
“Roll over! Roll over!”
So they all rolled over and one fell out
There were two in the bed
And the little one said,
“Roll over! Roll over!”
So they all rolled over and one fell out
There was one in the bed
And the little one said,
“Alone at last!”
“Good Night!”
Three Little Kittens
Three Little Kittens is a nursery rhyme about three kittens who lose, then dirty and then clean their mittens much to mother cat’s dismay and delight. Although this rhyme centers around a single number, it can help children start to develop their one to one correspondence.
Three Little Kittens Lyrics
Three little kittens they lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear, we sadly fear
Our mittens we have lost.
What! lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
No, you shall have no pie.
The three little kittens they found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear, see here, see here,
Our mittens we have found!
Put on your mittens, you silly kittens,
And you shall have some pie.
Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r,
Oh, let us have some pie.
The three little kittens put on their mittens,
And soon ate up the pie;
Oh, mother dear, we greatly fear
Our mittens we have soiled.
What! soiled your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then they began to sigh,
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
Then they began to sigh.
The three little kittens they washed their mittens,
And hung them out to dry;
Oh! mother dear, do you not hear,
Our mittens we have washed!
What! washed your mittens, then you’re good kittens,
But I smell a rat close by.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
We smell a rat close by.
